GOOD LUCK ZOLA!

Its not my piece, but its a good read! ENJOY!

Gianfranco Zola took over at West Ham yesterday. Chelsea fans should show good grace and not be angry at either of them.

The news that Gianfranco Zola, our Gianfranco Zola, would become the manager at West Ham caused a certain gnashing of teeth in some Chelsea circles. How could a player who was so associated with Chelsea 'jump ship` and take a coaching role at a rival club?

Such a view is small-minded, and should not be allowed to taint our view of the player, who was voted Chelsea`s best by the fans. In our minds, the likeable Italian still sleeps under a Chelsea-crested duvet and can`t wait for Friday night so he can take out the VHS copy of the 1997 Cup Winner`s Cup Final. Now I have no doubt that he still holds great affection for Chelsea, but we should accept that that affection, and his status as one of the all-time Chelsea legends, is not changed by the player becoming an employee at Upton Park.


Gianfranco Zola was involved in the set-up of the youth levels of the Italian national team. Then West Ham (and Newcastle) came calling. Let`s be frank: these were two huge job opportunities. Not only in monetary terms (Premier League managers are paid the most in the world) but in terms of prestige. Managing one of the largest Premier League sides is a huge step-up in the guy`s managerial career. We can`t begrudge the guy for taking that opportunity.

In fact, we should wish him well (apart from when Chelsea play West Ham, of course). For if Zola succeeds at Upton Park, it will reflect partly on his legendary status at Chelsea, where he became the man that is his. We should not show the same kind of pettiness that has seen, for instance, Spurs continue to vilify Sol Campbell. Or the way that Arsenal still bad-mouth Ashley Cole. Or Chelsea, for that matter, who didn`t take William Gallas` transfer to Arsenal.

And we should certainly not behave like West Ham fans, who still go on, with ill will and bitterness, about Frank Lampard`s departure to Chelsea. I always thought that that behaviour was moronic (although those fans and the club were extraordinarily generous in spirit when Frank`s mother died). Amazingly there were sections of the West Ham support who didn`t want Zola as a coach because of his long association with Chelsea.

Chelsea should not view Zola`s new role as a betrayal but as a reflection of the promise that Zola must have as a manager. We played a part in that.

But since we all still love the guy, we should wish him success at West Ham. Even at West Ham. His status as Chelsea legend is not changed by his new role across the city, nor is the affection that we should have for him.